Friday, May 27, 2016

I agree witht this.. We were told you'll be better off with Opal.. so Un true.. Travel costs have only gone up and up since Opal (for myself)

If you push up the price of public infrastructure travel you hurt the poor the most. After all this is 'Public Transport' there are no other cheaper options for some.

Some say this is a minor issue and even suggest that public transport should cost more, pointing to regular overcrowding at peak hour. If we consider public transport to be an essential service for our society, and a matter of social justice, this clearly misses the point. It's a case for running more services, not getting people off the system or forcing them to pay more.

Another common criticism is that fares comprise a small fraction of the overall cost of a commuter's trip – about 25 per cent – while the government carries the rest. Why shouldn't users pay a bigger share, some ask? This conveniently ignores the fact that we already cover the government's costs anyway, through our taxes.

Affordable public transport is a right of all people living in NSW. It also happens to be an excellent decongestant for our roads. It's time the state government gets back on our side and recognises the indisputable value of free travel.